Octanol-Water Partition Coefficients: Fundamentals and Physical Chemistry

The octanol-water partition coefficient is a laboratory-measured property of a substance. It provides a thermodynamic measure of the tendency of the substance to prefer a non-aqueous or oily milieu rather than water (i.e. its hydrophilic/lipophilic balance). Partition coefficients are used extensively in medicinal chemistry, drug design, ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry. The partition coefficient is recognized by governmental and international agencies (U.S. Environmental Protectio...